Loose leaf binder



Oct. 25, 1938. A. G. LOTTER 2,134,230 LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Dec. 9, 1937 v zi z) z? 7 I I 1: p I

4 M? G. Luff?!" Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED. STATES LOOSE LEAF BINDER Adolph G. Lotter, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Stationers Loose Leaf Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application December 9, 1937, Serial No. 178,956

12 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and refers particularly to the large record book type of binder.

Binders of this type generally comprise a back to which the two covers are hingedly connected,

and a plurality of binder posts detachably connected either to the back or the covers. One of the more common methods of detachably connecting the binder posts with the covers or back is to provide sliding pintle bars carried either by the covers or back and operable into and out of engagement with the apertured ends of the binder posts.

For disengaging the pintle bars from the binder posts, it is usual to provide some means for the application of a manual pull, but reengagement of the pintle bars with the binder posts has been effected automatically upon closure of the covers. Improvement of the means for accomplishing this purpose is the chief object of this invention.

More specifically it is an object of the present invention to provide means for propelling or actuating the pintle bars to their post engaging 5 positions directly from the motion of the covers as they are swung to closed position so asto obviate the use of springs which in past constructions have been resorted to for sliding the bars to post engaging positions after release of a spring 30 catch by the covers.

In other words, it is an object of this invention to provide means for positively sliding the pintle bars to their post engaging positions upon closing of the covers.

35 Another object of this invention is to provide a simple mechanism for effecting this result, and which is so designed and constructed that no radical changes in design or construction of the binder need be made.

40 With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodi-v ment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one 50 complete example of the physical embochment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: 5 Figure l is a perspective view showing a portion of a record book loose leaf binder embodying this invention; V

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 22;

Figure 3 is a detail view looking at the inside 5 of the cover and back to show the relationship of the parts during closure of the cover and at the initiation of the post engaging motion of the pintle bar; and I V Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but show- 10 ing the cover fully closed and the pintle bar slid to its post engaging position. I 7 Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the back of a l5 record book loose leaf binder having forwardly extending parallel marginal walls 6 to which the covers 1 are hingedly connected, as at 8. Each cover carries a flat tubular member 9 adjacent to its hinge connection with the back and so dis- 2Q posed with respect tothe hinge axis that'when the cover is closed, the outer edge portion, of the tubular member underlies the inner surface of the adjacent marginal wall 6 of the back.

The body of leaves In is held in place by a plurality of binder posts I I having apertured ends which project into the tubular members 9 through appropriate openings 12 in their outer edge portions; A pintle bar I3 is slidablymounted in each of the tubular members for sliding move' ment to and from operative engagement with the apertured ends of the binder posts for detach ably securing the binder posts to the covers.

Each pintle bar is provided with the requisite number of pintles M to project through the apertured ends of the binder posts. Obviously, engagement and disengagement of the pintles with the binder posts is efiected by sliding the bars longitudinally, and to facilitate manual disengagement of the pintles from the binder posts,

one end of each pintle bar has a finger-piece or grip I5 formed thereon.

Reengagement of the pintles with the binder posts is effected automatically upon closure of the covers. The mechanism by which this automatic reengagement is efiected is duplicated for both covers, and'therefore a description of one will suflice for both.

The tubular member 9, has an opening IS in its outer edge portion to expose'a shoulder I l on the pintle bar formed bycutting away a portion of the bar. Pivoted to the inner face of the marginal wall 6 of the back in line with this opening I6 is a bell crank lever l8. One and IQ of the bell crank lever projects through the opening l6 into engagement with the shoulder ll of the pintle bar and its other end 20 is offset to lie in the path of the adjacent outer edge portion of the tubular member 9 as the cover is swung to its closed position.

The parts are so proportioned that during the swinging movement of the cover to its closed position, the bell crank lever is rocked about its pivotal mounting in a direction causing its end Hi to push the pintle bar to its operative binder post engaging position. Obviously, before the cover is closed and the mechanism actuated in this manner, the back is moved to its proper position with respect to the body of leaves so that as the cover is closed, the openings [2 in its tubular member 9 will receive the aperturedends of the binder posts so that upon the subsequent longitudinal shifting of the pintle bar, its pintles {4 will be properly engaged'with the binder posts. 1 As pointed out hereinbefore, disengagement of the pintles from the binder posts is effected by applying a manual pull on the pintle bar. During this motion of the bar, the bell crank lever would be swung about its pivotal mounting to its position illustrated in Figure 3, but to insure the lever remaining in this position after the cover is swung to its fully open position at which the shoulder 11 on the pintle bar is wholly disengaged from the lever, and thereby preclude misalignment during reclosure of the cover, a light spring 2| is provided.

This may be a torsion spring, as illustrated, and when of this type is-coil'ed about a fixed post 22 carried by the wall 6 of the back with one end bearing against a fixed stop 23 and its other end bearing against a shoulder on the arm 20 of the bell crank lever. The spring propelled motion of the bell crank lever is limited by a stop pin 24.

In practice, the covers as well as the back are usually covered with a suitable binding which hasbeen omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity. I

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that this invention provides means for positively shifting the pintle bars of record book loose leaf binders to their operative post engaging positionsduring closure of the covers, and that the mechanism provided for this purpose is simple in construction and requires no radical change in the design or construction of the binder.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged to the back; a binder post; a pintle bar slidable to and from engagement with the binder post; and means propelled by the cover during closure thereof for sliding the pintle bar into engagement with thebinder post.

2. In a binder of the character described; a back; a cover hinged thereto; a binder post; a pintle bar slidable alongan axis fixed with respect to the hinge connection between the cover and back and engageable with the binder post; and means positively moved by the cover during closure thereof for sliding the pintle bar into engagement with the binder post.

3. In a binder of the character described: a

back; covers hingedly connected thereto; a binder post adapted to pass through a body of leaves; means for detachably connecting one end of the binder post with the back including a pintle bar slidable along an axis fixed with respect to the hinge connection between the back and the ad'- jacent cover; and means carried by the back engageable by the cover during closure thereof to be moved thereby and engageable with the pintle bar to slide the same into engagement with the binder post during closure of the cover.

4. In a binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged thereto; a binder post; a pintle bar having a part engageable with the binder post and slidable longitudinally into and out of engagement with the binder post; means slidably mounting the pintle bar for sliding motion along an axis fixed with respect to the hinge connection between the cover and back; and a pivoted lever carried by the back having a part engageable with the pintle bar; and another part engageable by the cover during closure thereof; said parts of the pivoted lever being so disposed withrespect to the pintle bar and cover that upon closing motion of the cover, said lever is actuated to slide the pintle bar into engagement with the binder post..

5. In a binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged thereto; a binder post having an apertured end; means for detachably connecting said end of the binder post with the hingedly connected cover and back including a pintle bar slidable to and from engagement with the binder post; means mounting the pintle bar for sliding motion along an axis fixed with respect to the hinge connection between the cover and back; and a bell crank lever pivotally carried by the back in position 'to have one end thereof engageable with the pintle bar and its other end engageable by a part of the cover during closure of the cover whereby closure of the cover effects sliding motion of the pintle bar to a binder post engaging position.

6. In a binder of the character described: a

back; a cover hinged thereto; a tubular member carried by the cover adjacent to its hinge connection with the back; a pintle bar slidable in said tubular member; and a bell crank lever pivotally carried by the back adjacent to its hinge connection with the cover, said bell crank lever having one arm thereof engageable with the pintle bar and its other arm engageable by said tubular member of the cover during closure of the cover so that closure of the cover is accompanied by a sliding motion of the pintle bar.

'7. In a binder of the character described: a back; a cover hingedly connected thereto; a tubular member carried by the cover adjacent to its hinge connection with the back and so disposed with respect to the hinge connection as to swing into alignment with a Wall of the back during closure of the cover; a pintle bar slidable in said tubular member; said tubular member having an opening and the pintle bar having a shoulder exposed by said opening; and a lever pivoted on said wall of the back and having a portion thereof projectible through said opening into engagement with the shoulder on the pintle bar to slide the same upon swinging movement of the lever and having another portion engageable by an outer wall of the tubular member during closure of the cover to effect such swinging movement of the lever.

8. In a loose leaf binder of the character described: a back having a marginal wall adapted to overliea body of leaves contained therein; a cover hingedly connected to said marginal wall; a binder post adapted to pass through the body of leaves and having an apertured end portion; a tubular member carried by the cover adjacent to its hinge connection with the marginal wall of the back, said tubular member having an opening to receive the apertured end of the binder post; a pintle bar slidable in said tubular member with a part detachably engaged with the apertured end of the binder post for detachably connecting the binder post with the cover; means for sliding the pintle bar to a position disengaging the binder post; said tubular member having another opening and the pintle bar having a shoulder exposed by said opening; and a cam device pivoted to'said marginal wall of the back with a portion thereof projectible through said last named opening into engagement with the shoulder on the pintle bar upon closure of the cover and having another po'rtion engageable by an external wall of said tubular member during closure of the cover for actuating said cam device in a direction to slide the pintle bar into binder post engaging position during closure of the cover.

9. In a loose leaf binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged to the back; a plurality of posts; a pintle bar for securing the posts to the cover, said pintle bar being movable to an unlocking position disengaged from the posts; a lever pivotally carried by the back for moving the pintle bar to a locking position engaging the posts; and means on the cover operable upon closure of the cover for actuating said lever.

10. In a loose leaf binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged thereto; posts adapted to be secured to the cover; a pintle bar carried by the cover and slidable to a position locking the posts to the cover; a shoulder on said bar; a cam pivotally mounted on the back in such a manner as to be actuated by the closing motion of the cover; and means on the cam engaging the shoulder whereby motion of the cover during closing thereof is transmitted to the pintle bar for sliding the same to its position locking the posts to the cover.

11. In a loose leaf binder of the character described: a back; a cover hinged to the back; posts adapted to be secured to the cover; a bar carried by the cover and slidable to a position locking the posts to the cover; means for manually shifting the bar to an unlocking position; a shoulder on the bar; a cam pivotally mounted on the back; means on the cover engaging the cam in such a manner that the closing motion of the cover imparts a degree of rotation to the cam; means on the cam engaging the shoulder for shifting the bar to its position locking the posts to the cover upon rotation of the cam; spring means tending to turn the cam away from the shoulder; and a stop for limiting the spring propelled rotation of the cam.

12. In a loose leaf binder of the character described: a back member; a cover member hinged to the back member; a binder post; a pintle bar,

bar to its post engaging position.

ADOLPH G. LOTTER. 

